Skip to main content
Claude Desktop launches local MCP servers from claude_desktop_config.json. Bilt is remote and uses an API key, so mcp-remote provides the local stdio bridge and attaches the Authorization header.
Claude’s custom connector UI is not a substitute for this setup. It accepts OAuth client settings but does not provide a field for Bilt’s static Authorization header, so it may attempt an OAuth flow that Bilt does not support.

​
Prerequisites

  • Claude Desktop
  • Node.js 18 or newer, with npx available
  • A key from Bilt API Keys

​
Configure Claude Desktop

Open the configuration file:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
Add Bilt under mcpServers, preserving any other servers already present:
Replace only bilt_live_YOUR_TOKEN. Keep Authorization:${BILT_AUTH_HEADER} without a space after the colon; this avoids a known Windows argument-splitting problem. The disabled body timeout allows builds that run longer than five minutes to finish. Fully quit Claude Desktop and reopen it. Bilt should appear in Claude’s MCP tools.

​
Windows npx startup failure

If the MCP log contains 'C:\Program' is not recognized, Claude is splitting the Node.js path at Program Files.
  1. In Command Prompt, run where npx to confirm Node.js is installed.
  2. Replace "command": "npx" with the short-path command:
Keep the remaining args and env unchanged. If Node.js is installed elsewhere, use the matching 8.3 short path for that installation.

​
Verify the connection

Ask Claude: “Use Bilt to list my projects.” A successful connection exposes seven tools beginning with bilt_.

​
Troubleshooting

Remove any nested "transport": { "type": "sse", ... } entry. Claude Desktop’s local configuration expects command, args, and optional env fields.
Remove the Bilt custom connector from Claude’s connector UI and use the local mcp-remote configuration. Bilt authenticates with an API key, not OAuth dynamic client registration.
Confirm BILT_AUTH_HEADER is exactly Bearer bilt_live_.... Do not put the token in the args array or add quotes inside the environment value.
Confirm the URL ends in /mcp, --transport is http-only, and --body-timeout 0 is present. Restart Claude after every configuration change.

​
Migrating from legacy SSE

The former /mcp/sse endpoint is gone. Use /mcp and force mcp-remote to http-only; there is no SSE fallback.